Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Host Jo Reed is joined by Kirkus fiction editor Laurie Muchnick for a deep dive into Rachel Reid’s six-book Game Changers series. The basis for the HBO sensation Heated Rivalry, the books are a blend of pro hockey, queer romance, and unapologetic “spice.” The conversation zeroes in on two key audiobooks—Game Changer, read by Tor Thom, and The Long Game, read by Cooper North—highlighting how each narrator shapes character, tone, and emotional depth in very different ways. Along the way, Jo and Laurie consider what these romances promise (yes, a happily-ever-after), what they explore (from homophobia in sports to mental health), and how listening—especially to scenes of intimacy—changes the experience. A lively look at a very hot series—where performance shapes the story as much as the writing, and the chemistry comes through loud and clear. Audiobooks Discussed: Game Changer by Rachel Reid, read by Tor Thom (Tantor Media) The Long Game by Rachel Reid, read by Cooper North (Harlequin Audio) Other audiobooks in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid: Heated Rivalry and Tough Guy, read by Tor Thom (Tantor Media) Common Goal and Role Model, read by Cooper North (Harlequin Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lauren Groff’s narration of Brawler brings listeners directly into the cadence and emotional undercurrent of her prose. In this episode of Behind the Mic, she talks with host Jo Reed about building a collection as a series of evolving questions, from the opening story “The Wind” to the final piece “Annunciation,” which, as she puts it, is “shining a light outward” while gesturing back toward what comes before. The conversation also explores how reading her work aloud—both while writing and in the recording studio—sharpens rhythm, shifts meaning, and keeps every sentence in motion. In an interview interspersed with excerpts of the audiobook, Lauren reflects on voice, structure, and the intimacy of hearing a writer tell her own stories. Audiobooks Discussed: Brawler, written and read by Lauren Groff (Penguin Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kirkus young readers’ editor Laura Simeon suggests three middle-grade audiobooks that invite listening across generations, beginning with Anna James’s Alice With a Why, where Kristin Atherton’s graceful, finely tuned narration captures both the whimsy and emotional intelligence of this return to Wonderland. Jodi Meadows’ Confessions From the Group Chat offers a sharply observed look at middle-school dynamics, with Eevin Hartsough delivering a natural, conversational performance that makes Virginia’s missteps feel immediate and deeply human. And in Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter, British author and former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho narrates his own fast-moving, imaginative adventure with energy and warmth, anchoring its time travel and mythmaking in a voice that feels personal and inviting. These are three engaging middle-grade stories, elevated by narrators who bring clarity, nuance, and a strong sense of voice to every moment. Audiobooks Discussed: Alice With a Why by Anna James, read by Kristin Atherton (Listening Library) Confessions From the Group Chat by Jodi Meadows, read by Eevin Hartsough (Recorded Books) Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho, read by Joseph Coelho (Dreamscape) Support for Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollinsFocus and HarperCollinsChristianPublishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Colleen Coble, Mark Harmon, Jennie Allen, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contributor Alan Minskoff joins host Jo Reed to talk about three notable books—from George Saunders, Xochitl Gonzalez, and Lauren Groff—that offer rich and rewarding listening. They begin with George Saunders’s Vigil, an inventive, full-cast production featuring Judy Greer, Stephen Root, and McLeod Andrews, where a youthful ghost serves as a death doula to an unrepentant oil tycoon. The conversation then turns to Xochitl Gonzalez’s Last Night in Brooklyn, narrated compellingly by Elizabeth Rodriguez, a sharp, observant look at friendship, ambition, and gentrification in mid-2000s Brooklyn. They conclude with Lauren Groff’s Brawler, a collection of emotionally resonant stories read with empathy and thoughtful restraint by the author herself. Together, these audiobooks show how skillful narration—from full casts to author performances—can deepen the emotional and imaginative reach of contemporary fiction. Audiobooks Discussed: Vigil by George Saunders, read by Judy Greer, Stephen Root, MacLeod Andrews, Kimberly Farr, Mark Bramhall, Barrett Leddy, Eric Jason Martin, Karissa Vacker, Sunil Malhotra, Cassandra Campbell, Kimberly M. Wetherell, Aaron Goodson, Maggi-Meg Reed, George Saunders, and a Full Cast (Random House Audio) LastNight in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez, read by Elizabeth Rodriguez (Macmillan Audio) Brawler by Lauren Groff, read by the author (Penguin Audio) Support for Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollinsFocus and HarperCollinsChristianPublishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Colleen Coble, Mark Harmon, Jennie Allen, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Stephen Cummings begin with Escape by Stephen Fischbach, an Earphones Award winner narrated by Julia Whelan, Imani Jade Powers, and Sean Patrick Hopkins; it’s a debut novel that digs into the machinations of reality TV and the costs of reinvention. Next they turn to Paper Cut by Rachel Taff, narrated by Helen Laser, a sharp exploration of true crime culture that follows a former cult member facing renewed scrutiny when a documentarian wants to revisit her past. Finally, they discuss the Earphones-winning Crown City by Naomi Hirahara, narrated by Brian Nishii, a richly observed social history threaded with a mystery as a newly arrived Japanese immigrant navigates 1903 Pasadena. Together, the three audiobooks—and their narrators—offer distinct portraits of pressure, survival, and the long reach of the past. Audiobooks Discussed: Escape! by Stephen Fishbach, read by Julia Whelan, Imani Jade Powers, Sean Patrick Hopkins, and Stephen Fishbach (Penguin Audio) Paper Cut by Rachel Taff, read by Helen Laser (Harper Audio) Crown City by Naomi Hirahara, read by Brian Nishii (Recorded Books) Support for Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus and HarperCollinsChristianPublishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Colleen Coble, Mark Harmon, Jennie Allen, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Alex Ritchie dive into three striking audiobooks, beginning with Half His Age, Jennette McCurdy’s unsettling and sharply observed debut novel, narrated by the author in a style that mirrors its protagonist’s fragile bravado. Jo and Alex then travel to 15th-century Italy with Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez, where Beatrice Grannò’s lyrical narration illuminates both the sensuality of the setting and the pulse of magic running through the novel’s political intrigue. Finally, they explore The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee, brought into vivid focus by Katie Leung’s clear, quietly magnetic delivery, which grounds the paranormal elements while sharpening the story’s emotional undercurrents. The conversation highlights how a narrator can deepen a book’s atmosphere, shape its emotional stakes, and transform the entire listening experience. Audiobooks Discussed: HalfHis Age, written and read by Jennette McCurdy (Random House Audio) Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez, read by Beatrice Grannò (Macmillan Audio) The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee, read by Katie Leung (Penguin Audio) Support for Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollinsFocus and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Colleen Coble, Mark Harmon, Jennie Allen, Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Leslie Fine kick off their discussion of rule-breaking new thrillers with Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, performed by Cia Court, in which a competitive housing market becomes the breeding ground for obsession. They turn to The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex, narrated by Edward Rowe and Meg Salter, a tense story of revenge that widens into an exploration of class, trauma, and the moments that define a life. Finally, they consider Girl Dinner by Olivie E. Blake, a sorority-set satire with sharp dialogue and darker implications, told through the alternating performances of Stephanie Nameth-Parker and Rita Amparita. Across all three titles, the conversation underscores how the right voices can amplify a thriller’s tension, humor, and emotional stakes. Audiobooks Discussed: Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, read by Cia Court (Macmillan Audio) The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex, read by Edward Rowe and Meg Salter (Penguin Audio) Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake, read by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Rita Amparita (Macmillan Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Kendra Winchester open this episode with Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, narrated by Isabella Star LaBlanc, a YA mystery that explores community and belonging through a performance rich in emotional nuance. The conversation turns to We Survive the Night, written and read by Julian Brave NoiseCat, a memoir that moves fluidly between family history, Indigenous storytelling, and themes of cultural survival. They close with The Devil Is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson, performed by Shane Ghostkeeper, whose steady, grounded narration helps orient listeners inside a surreal, character-driven story of rivalry and unreliable memory. The three titles underscore how Native authors use voice, history, and perspective to shape memorable listening experiences. Audiobooks Discussed: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, read by Isabella Star LaBlanc (Macmillan Audio). We Survived the Night, written and read by Julian Brave NoiseCat (Random House Audio). The Devil Is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson, read by Shane Ghostkeeper (HarperAudio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and Laura Rossi dive into three Earphones Award–winning audiobooks: James Patterson’s Return of the Spider, Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives, and Ryan Goldberg’s Bird City. They talk about Dion Graham and Fred Berman’s gripping dual performance in Patterson’s 34th Alex Cross thriller; Atwood’s reflective memoir in her own gravelly, unmistakable voice; and the charm of an unexpected New York City birding adventure to which Evan Sibley brings a naturalist’s clarity to the narration. Together, they explore how each audiobook offers a distinct listening experience—from high-stakes suspense to literary self-examination to close observation of the natural world. Audiobooks Discussed: Return of the Spider: An Alex Cross Thriller by James Patterson, read by Dion Graham and Fred Berman (Hachette Audio) Book of Lives, written and read by Margaret Atwood (Random House Audio) Bird City: Adventures in New York’s Urban Wilds by Ryan Goldberg, read by Evan Sibley (Hachette Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Alan Minskoff dive into three remarkable audiobooks: Zadie Smith’s Dead and Alive, John Banville’s Venetian Vespers, and Thomas Pynchon’s long-awaited Shadow Ticket. They explore Smith’s incisive essays, read by the author with clarity and authority; Venetian Vespers, with Luke Thompson navigating Banville’s long, sinuous sentences; and Pynchon’s noir caper, handled with virtuosic range by Edoardo Ballerini. It’s a conversation filled with sharp insights into writing, narration, and what makes these audiobooks such compelling listens. Audiobooks Discussed: Dead and Alive, written and read by Zadie Smith (Penguin Audio) Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon, read by Edoardo Ballerini (Penguin Audio) Venetian Vespers by John Banville, read by Luke Thompson (Random House Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Michele Cobb joins host Jo Reed to dig into audiobooks built on backstory, beginning with Expert Witness, where Gabra Zackman delivers Anne Wolbert Burgess’ account of trauma, justice, and the evolution of expert testimony with clarity and restraint. Next, they turn to A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever, a joyful, detail-packed oral history of the 1984 film Spinal Tap—an ensemble cast production led by Rob Reiner, where seemingly spontaneous commentary makes the audiobook the definitive way to experience the story. The episode closes with We Did OK, Kid, a reflective memoir in which Kenneth Branagh’s elegant narration frames Anthony Hopkins’s vulnerable reflections on craft, ambition, and a life shaped by performance. Together these audiobooks show how lived experience—whether in the courtroom, on a film set, or across a lifetime in acting—gains depth and resonance when shaped by a narrator who knows when to be restrained, playful, or quietly vulnerable. Audiobooks Discussed: Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance by Ann Wolbert Burgess with Steven Matthew Constantine, read by Gabra Zackman A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap, written and read by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer We Did Ok, Kid: A Memoir by Sir Anthony Hopkins, read by Kenneth Branagh with the author Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Cummings joins host Jo Reed to talk about Laurie Gwen Shapiro’s immersive dual biography of Amelia Earhart and George Putnam, The Aviator and the Showman; Elliot Ackerman’s unlikely and darkly comic caper, Sheepdogs; and Mike Albo’s candid, audio-exclusive memoir, Hologram Boyfriends. Cummings reflects on what surprised him about each audiobook and why these very different works held his attention to the end. Altogether, the conversation highlights how form, tone, and performance shape the listening experience. Audiobooks Discussed: The Aviator and the Showman by Laurie Gwen Shapiro, read by Stefanie Powers (Penguin Audio) Sheepdogs by Elliot Ackerman, read by Chris Andrew Ciulla (Random House Audio) Hologram Boyfriends, written and read by Mike Albo (Macmillan Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contributor Alex Richey joins Behind the Mic host Jo Reed to talk about three fantastical audiobooks and how their different forms shape the listening experience. The conversation moves from Brandon Sanderson’s story collection Tailored Realities to two intergenerational stories centered on daughters—Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite and As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel—where voice and perspective carry particular emotional weight. As Alex observes, these audiobooks demonstrate how narration can enhance both broad narrative structures and more focused, character-driven works. Books Discussed: Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson, read by Dion Graham, January LaVoy, Michael Kramer, Ray Porter, Andre Santana, Avi Roque, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, Imani Jade Powers, MacLeod Andrews, Shahjehan Khan, and Stephanie Nemeth Parker Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, read by Weruche Opia, Nnei Opia Clark, and Diana Yekinni As Many Souls as Stars, written by Natasha Siegel, read by Kristin Atherton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AudioFile Magazine is now part of Kirkus Reviews, and Behind the Mic marks the moment with a conversation with the magazine’s founder and longtime editor Robin Whitten. Robin reflects on a life spent listening, how audiobooks and audiobook reviewing has evolved, and her excitement that the work begun by AudioFile will continue and flourish at KirkusReviews. It’s a thoughtful, forward-looking conversation about continuity, change, and the enduring joy of listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jo Reed is joined by narrator Karen Murray to talk about HOW SWEET THE SOUND by Kwame Alexander, one of our picks for the Best Children and Family Audiobooks of 2025. Karen shares how she dove into this musical exploration of Black music in America, which “felt like home to her.” The experience begins with a poem as the listener is guided through the talking drums of Africa, to the blues, jazz, funk, and soul, and eventually hip-hop. Jo and Karen share why this listen is perfect for families, even down to the final, fascinating glossary. Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook Published by Hachette Audio. AudioFile’s 2025 Best Children & Family Listening are: AND SHE WAS LOVED by Andrea Davis Pinkney, read by Andrea Davis Pinkney BAD BADGER by Maryrose Wood, read by Chris Devon MILLIE FLEUR SAVES THE NIGHT by Christy Mandin, read by Elizabeth Knowelden THE POISONED KING by Katherine Rundell, read by Sam West HOW SWEET THE SOUND by Kwame Alexander, read by Karen Murray WHALE EYES by James Robinson, read by James Robinson Explore the full list of 2025 Best Audiobooks on our website Support for our podcast comes from Dreamscape, an award-winning audiobook publisher with a catalog that includes authors L.J. Shen, Freida McFadden, and Katee Robert. Discover your next great listen at dreamscapepublishing.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices